Songflight's Discovery
'Prologue' The assembled crowd parted as a large bulk made its way through them. The formidable beast made his way to the middle, where a stone platform was ready and waiting. Once he had seated himself on it, he turned to face the creatures around him. Glittering beady eyes shone in the darkness, watching his every move. "My friends," he said in a low and authorative voice. "The time has come to act. To make them pay." A chorus of agreement greeted his words. "We start the journey tomorrow at the crack of dawn," he commanded. He swept into the darkness of his den, but just before he did, the moonlight caught on the pale pink scar the ran down his forehead and right between his ears, like a path of destruction. The path he vowed to unleash upon his enemies as soon as possible. 'Chapter One' Songflight poked her head out of the warrior's den. She gave a smile when she saw the slender black-and-white outline on the hill, but the smile was tainted by sorrow. Padding over to her daugher, she said, "How was it sweetheart?" Mariflower smiled but didn't respond. "You can talk now," she assured her. "Oh," she said softly. "It was... okay. I had a lot of time to think." A few tail-lenghts away, Smokewhisker glanced over, but didn't interrupt. Songflight knew what Mariflower had been thinking of, and a few stray tears welled in her eyes. "I see. Well, how about some fresh-kill?" "I'd like that. Do you want to share with me?" Mariflower said to both of them. Songflight smiled, glancing at Smokewhisker. "No, I already ate. You two go on." As she watched them pad off, she felt a tail stroke her back gently. "Hello Troutstream." Her mate purred and rubbed his chin on her head. "Good morning." His gaze followed Mariflower, who was almost like his adopted daughter now, and turned back toward Songflight. She read his unspoken question. "It was fine... but I think she had a lot of time to, you know." He nodded sadly. "She's strong," he said. "You both are." Songflight nodded gratefully. Troutstream had a way of making everything better. Bluewater joined them. The clan deputy looked a bit flustered and hassled, but her olive eyes were as steady and sharp as ever. "Do you two want to come to the Gathering tonight?" "Sure," Songflight mewed. She knew Bluewater and Pinestar had enough on their minds already. There was no telling how the clans would be tonight. They had all fought together against Razorfang, but it was leaf-bare, and things changed when you were struggling to survive. Nightfur padded over. The young tom had become a valuable warrior after both his sister's death had been avenged. "Do you want me to take out the dawn patrol Bluewater?" he asked. "Sure," the deputy said gratefully. "Okay," he nodded. "I'll take Songflight and Dazeflight." The gray-and-white tom had just emerged fromt the warrior's den. He nodded and padded over. "Let's go," Nightfur said a bit awkwardly. Songflight knew he wasn't comforable with giving orders to more experienced warriors, but it was a good skill to learn. She gave him a warm smile and followed him out of the thicket tunnel. The sun was rising in the sky, giving birth to a new morning as the patrol headed through the woods. They meandered through at their own pace; most of the clan wouldn't be awake for another hour. Nightfur caught a sparrow and a mouse before they reached the LightningClan border. While the two toms headed further down the stream to scent-mark, Songflight peered into the water. WaterClan's specialty was fishing, and she was no execption. Spotting a quick flash of silver, she darted her paw in and hooked the fish with her claws, then killed it with a quick nip. "Nice catch," said Dazeflight, heading back towards her. Nightfur approached from the other side. "I think we're done," he said. "Let's head for the TreeClan border." Songflight nodded. Nowadays, she could think of TreeClan without any pain... almost. But before she had time to think about it, they were moving again. As they approached the border, Songflight's ears pricked. She stopped to listen. "It sounds like a fight," said Nightfur, his eyes widening. Dazeflight raised his head and scented the air. All three cats eyes met. "Badger!" Songflight tore through the woods, skidding to a stop when she reached the border. A cat came tearing out of the woods on the TreeClan side. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw what cat it was, and stopped altogether when she saw the beast that roared after it. Bushtail didn't seem to see them; he whirled around and stood, petrified, as the badger thundered down on him. Why isn't he doing anything? Then her mind flashed back to the first real conversation they'd ever had, when she had thought her mother was leaving the clan. He had confided in her his one fear: badgers. His sister had been killed by one as a kit. "No!" she screamed. But before she could spring in front of him, or even move, a gray blur attacked the badger. It was a cat, but not a clan cat. In fact, Songflight had never seen it before. However, that wasn't her main concern now. "WaterClan, attack!" They joined the fray. Songflight leaped onto the badger's back and scored her claws down the silver-and-black fur. For a second, over the creature's head, she met Bushtail's gaze. "I'm sorry," ''he mouthed. She gave him a gentle smile, then bit down hard on the badger's neck. Nightfur drove his claws into the badger's shoulder and nipped its ear. Letting out a bellow, the beast slammed the young warrior against the ground. "No!" Songflight screamed. She leaped down from the badger's back and slammed her whole body against its head, forcing it away from Nightfur. Her shoulder ached from the impact, but before she could recover, the badger turned on her and shoved her so hard she went flying across the border, landing with an echoing thump near a bush. Head throbbing, Songflight couldn't find the energy to get up and run, though she heard the badger's heavy pawsteps as it approached, hateful black eyes burning. She saw the large mouth open wide, tiny white needles flashing. Closing her eyes, she prayed that the end would be quick and painless. And then... nothing. She opened her eyes. Bushtail was in front of her, locked in a headlock with the badger. His yellow eyes were panicked but filled with determination. "Run Songflight!" She stumbled to her feet and got out of the way. The others joined the TreeClan tom and sent the badger packing through the woods. But she didn't even glance its way. Slowly, as Nightfur and Dazeflight chased after it, she made her way towards Bushtail. He was terrified of badgers. Scared stiff. But somehow, he'd managed to overcome it. And he had done it for her. "Thank you," she said softly. He took a step forward too. Now their noses were almost touching. She could feel the electric current zigzagging between them. "No problem," he whispered. "You saved me first." "No, he did," she said, glancing towards the mysterious gray tom, who was sitting calmly a few tail-lengths away, his eyes on the bracken where the two toms and badger had vanished through. "I don't mean that," he said, with a smile that made her heartbeat accelarate. "I meant-" "He's gone!" Dazeflight crowed, reentering the clearing triumphantly. Songflight shot him a look of disgust as Bushtail retreated a few steps back. "Who are you?" Nightfur said, staring at the gray tom. The loner took his time answering. He slowly got to his paws and stretched, then licked a cut on his foreleg. Dazeflight twitched his tail impatiently. "They call me Smoke," he said. "And with reason." His eyes were an eerie shade of blue, so pale they were almost white, with two narrow slits for pupils. "I go nowhere and live everywhere. I belong to the wind, to the sun, to the bird that soars in the sky. I am nothing and contain everything. I bend to your will yet I'm as solid as a rock." "You just saved me from the eagle's clutch but you're crazy as a loon," Bushtail finished. Nightfur snorted with laughter. "Are you okay?" Dazeflight said earnestly, looking like he honestly thought Smoke had hit his head or something. Songflight continued the stare at the tom. There was definitely something strange about him, but she couldn't put her paw on it, or decide whether it was good or bad. "Why wouldn't I be?" he inquired cluelessly, casually licking one paw and regarding them coolly. Songflight and the others exchanged helpless looks. "Should we take him back to WaterClan?" wondered Dazeflight, as if Smoke wasn't even there. Nightfur frowned. "He's a bit odd," he whispered. "But he did help us out. Yes, we might as well." "I'll be going now," Bushtail said. "Uh, thanks. I'll tell Sootstar about this." "You're welcome," Songflight said, gazing into his yellow eyes, longing to say more. He gave a hasty nod and disappeared. Shaking it off, she turned back to the others. "Would you like to come back to our Clan's camp with us?" Smoke shrugged. "I might." "Okay then," she faltered. "Come on." She led the way back through the woods, wrapped up in her own thoughts. If Smoke was really all he said he was, why did she feel so uneasy about him? Only time would tell. 'Chapter Two' "Who is this?" asked Pinestar, coming down from Leader's Rock. At his side was Songflight's mother, Maribel. The two looked happier than ever together, and she was glad for them, knowing all they had been through. "Smoke," she said. "We encountered a badger by the TreeClan border and he helped us fight it off." Bluewater's ears flattened. "A badger?" Songflight nodded as more WaterClan cats began to gather around them, murmuring to themselves. Pinestar frowned. "That's quite unusual for this time of the year. Perhaps we need to heighten patrols." "Pinestar?" Lilystem, the medicine cat, approached. "I need to talk to you." Songflight saw that her green eyes were worried and frightened. What had scared their steady-minded medicine cat so much? "Okay," the leader said. "Bluewater, you can come too." The deputy followed him into his den, leaving the others waiting. Troutstream approached Songflight, and she brushed against his pelt, letting his scent chase away her doubts about the badger and about... Bushtail. She needed some reassurance that she had made the right decision. "Are you all right?" he asked. "Yeah," she sighed. "Just a few bumps and bruises. They can wait till Lilystem's done talking to Pinestar."? He licked her on the ear. "Still, you must be tired. Want to come share some fresh-kill with me?"? She nodded, and they padded over to the fresh-kill pile. Troutstream placed a plump squirrel in between them, and they nestled against each other cozily. Songflight savored the warm meat, grateful for the distraction from everything that had happened today. She was already tired, and it was just morning.? Meanwhile, Nightfur and Flowerfur were showing Smoke around. The gray tom took it all in calmly, but she could detect a slight eagerness in his eyes, a keeness that couldn't just be because it was all new to him. And it unnerved her even more. Patchbird sat down across from her with Hawkswoop. "Feeling better?" "A little," she smiled at her sister. "I just need some rest." "Well, you can have plenty of that, you lazy-heart," joked Hawkswoop. She flicked her tail against his shoulder, knowing she wasn't mistaken when she saw concern in his eyes. For several minutes after she woke up, Songflight didn't move, waiting for the pain in all her muscles to dull. Lilystem had tried her best, but only time and rest would completely heal her. "Mother?" Mariflower entered the den, worry glimmering in her green eyes. Songflight smiled and touched noses with her daughter. "Hello sweetie," she said. "Hi," she said, but she didn't sit down. Instead she shifted from paw to paw, looking uncomfortable. Songflight frowned. "Is something wrong?" Mariflower looked torn. She sat and wrapped her tail tightly around her paws. "Mother, please forgive me for asking this. I know I'm wrong, and I know it's a dumb question, but I just feel like making sure." Songflight nodded, puzzled. The young she-cat's green eyes, identical to her own, met hers. "Is Troutstream really our father?" For several minutes, Songflight was dumbstruck. Then she stammered, "Why would you ask such a thing?" Mariflower frowned. Then she blushed, but the intensity in her voice didn't fade. "Yes or no? That's all I want." She clearly expected an easy-going yes. But Songflight couldn't lie to her. She just ''couldn't. Mariflower had lost her sister, and in a way, her brother and real father too. There was no need for more deciet in her life. "He is your father in every way that counts," she said simply. Confusion, then shock worked its way onto Mariflower's face. "What? So... he's not our real father?" Songflight felt tears coming to her eyes. Even though she had been born to loners, and suffered because of it, she had always known the truth about her mother. Then she remembered how she'd felt when she learned Brown was her father. She couldn't tell them about Bushtail, to protect everyone in numerous ways, but she owed her daughter at least part of the truth. "No," she said, shaking her head slowly. "He's not." Mariflower's jaw dropped, her eyes filling with tears and anger. She looked agonized, like she was being ripped in half. "What?" Her voice trembled as she spoke. "You lied to me. You let us think-" Her face contorted in disbelief. "You let Berrypaw die without knowing who her real father was!" Songflight stumbled backwards, feeling as though she'd been punched in the stomach, but Mariflower wasn't done. "You've decieved us our entire lives! If Marshpaw was here, he'd probably have left anyway. I ''want to leave now! I hate you!" Songflight watched helplessly as her daughter fled with a wail. Then she crumbled back into her nest, feeling as though someone had cut her open and ripped her insides out. "Songflight?" Bluewater nudged her gently. It was early morning now; she'd been sleeping for a while as she recovered. Scrambling to her paws, Songflight faced her desperately. "Mariflower's here, right?" The deputy looked confused. "Yeah... She was a little upset yesterday, but I don't know why." Songflight bit her lip hard. Bluewater seemed to notice, but didn't comment. "How are you feeling?" "Better." She stretched. "I think I can go on a patrol today. Maybe hunting?" The last thing she needed was to go on a border patrol and run into Bushtail again. "Okay," her friend said, looking unconvinced. "I'll see about it." She left, and after a couple minutes, Songflight padded out into the clearing. The clan seemed untouched on the outside, but she could sense something had changed. Flywhisker, Flowerfur, and Nightfur were gathered around Smoke, listening raptly as he told them a story, moving his paws wildly, his pale eyes wide and expressive. Pinestar and Maribel talked in low voices, and Bluewater and Dazeflight joined them, looking worried. Songflight headed towards her siblings, who were stretched out on a flat rock. "How was the Gathering last night?" she asked, wishing she could've gone. Patchbird winced. "You'd think after working together to defeat Razorfang, we'd learn something about teamwork," she sighed. Songflight grimaced. "How bad was it?" "Well..." Hawkswoop said, biting his lip. "Patchbird yelled at me for uh, saying 'bad things', but you would've too if you saw Rosestar and Starlingfoot. Sootstar was no help either." Patchbird cut in, glaring at Hawkswoop. "He couldn't be. He's getting old; I hear he went down to his last life at the battle with Razorfang. TreeClan's going to be looking at a new leader soon." Songflight cocked her head. "Who's their new deputy?" There was no way Sootstar would let Brackenclaw stay after what he'd done, though she had heard from Pinestar that Blackwhisper and all the other traitors who had joined Razorfang's group had been allowed to stay after apoligizing. As if saying sorry could ever make up for what they had done. But whoever the new deputy was, Sootstar would have to pick well. It was probably the last important decision he would make as leader. The new deputy had to be ready to assume the role of leadership shortly after, and that took talent. "Bushtail," Patchbird said. Songflight stared at her. She couldn't help being surprised, though she knew she shouldn't be. Bushtail was the perfect candidate for deputy. "Bushtail?" "Yeah, that brown tabby tom from TreeClan. He's the new deputy. He better be a good one too." Patchbird studied her carefully, if not suspiciously. "Oh," she said, trying to be casual. "Him." Hawkswoop yawned as Bluewater padded over. "Hi guys," she said. She looked a bit shy, almost scared, which was unusual for her. Songflight blinked, trying to figure it out, when Patchbird nudged her. "Let's go get some fresh-kill," she said with a wink. "But I'm not hungry-" she began, cut short when her sister practically bulldozed her away. "What in StarClan?" "Can't you see Bluewater wants to talk to Hawkswoop alone?" Patchbird said. "Honestly Songflight, sometimes you're as dense as a tree." Songflight turned back to Hawkswoop and Bluewater. They were chatting happily, and there was a glow on Bluewater's face that she had never seen before. Normally the blue-gray she-cat was calm and serious, without a trace of immaturity about her. Now she was giggling hysterically and batting her eyelids like a flirty apprentice. Patchbird grinned. "That, my dear sister, is love." Songflight laughed. "An awkward kind of love I did not see coming. How can Hawkswoop and Bluewater like each other? They have nothing in common-" She fell silent, thinking of Bushtail. After all, she knew better then anyone that love didn't rationalize. There was no logical reason for her and Bushtail to meet and fall in love. It was just the way things fell into place. However, she thought with sadness, love didn't make everything right. And sometimes- she shook it off. Now wasn't the time to reflect on these things. 'Chapter Three' A cool breeze ruffled Songflight's fur, smelling of new-leaf air and flowers. She took a deep breath, letting out all the tension from the past few moons. The sun was just rising over the horizon, the quiet broken only by the occasional sweet songs of birds. Somewhere out there, Marshpaw was staring up at the same sky, possibly thinking of her. She refused to even consider the possibility that he was gone. It hurt too much. He ''would ''come back. And when he did, she would be waiting with open arms. Turning at the sounds of cats awakening, she saw Bluewater standing outside, choosing the morning patrols. Eager to finally get out of camp, Songflight darted forward. "Can I come on the dawn patrol?" Bluewater studied her critically. "Are you feeling well?" "I'm fine," she assured her friend. "But I'll go stir crazy if I'm cooped up in here any longer." "Okay," she relented. "But take it easy on yourself Songflight." Nodding impatiently, Songflight turned to the others on the patrol; Dazeflight, Applewhisker, and Orangenose, and smiled. "Where are we going?" Applewhisker frowned, deep in thought. "The TreeClan border," she said. "We definitely need to make sure the badger's completely gone." Berating her heart for doing nervous somersaults, Songflight nodded agreement. "Then we'll go by the river, check that LightningClan hasn't tried anything, and maybe bring home some spring trout for breakfast." Just the mention of the word "trout" sent shivers of delight down her back, as if she had been freezing and had suddenly stepped into a warm, toasty den. But no den could ever be as cozy and welcoming as his blue eyes, his smiling- "Songflight? Are you okay? The rest of your patrol just left." Bluewater looked half-annoyed, half-concerned. "Oh!" Blushing sheepishly, Songflight hurried out of the thicket and raced to catch up with her friends. Dazeflight was sniffing the fresh newleaf air; it still held a tang of chilliness from leaf-bare, but was also flavored with warm sunshine and the smell of new life. All around them, the forest was awakening, a lush carpet of grass under their paws, tree branches adorned with pale green leaves stretching out to one another to form a canopy over their heads. Through this interlocking, dawn light lit the world in different shades of peach, orange, silver, and violet, as if the day couldn't make up its mind whether to start or not. Ahead of her, Dazeflight slammed to a stop, and, lost in her reverie, Songflight slammed into his gray-and-white pelt. Shaking the rainbows out of her head, she turned to him, feeling foolish. "Sorry." Then she saw it. Her stomach clenched as the reek of blood hit her nostrils, coupled with a heavier, muskier smell. Across from them, on the other side of the TreeClan border, was a tree. The lower base of the tree was painted scarlet with blood. A symbol was gouged roughly into the trunk above the tree. It was a circle, with a crooked streak running through it, like a scar. A shudder ran through Songflight at the sight of the symbol, but then her eyes traveled downwards, and her heart stopped. The world spun. In a mangled, bloodied heap, was the body of a cat. The world spun, and her breath came in gasps. ''Stop that, ''she told herself. It was no use fainting and swooning like some kind of diva. She needed to be strong. Stomach churning dangerously, she took a few halting steps forward, Dazeflight and Applewhisker on either side of her. Orangenose looked like Songflight felt: sick; she was leaning against a tree as if her legs had turned to jelly. "Who is she?" Applewhisker whispered, her eyes stretched wide, like a pair of suns. Dazeflight shook his head helplessly. "She's TreeClan," he pointed out. Songflight forced herself to study the cat. Beyond the blood and scratches was a dark pelt. The she-cat's ears were flat against her head and her lips were frozen into an eternal snarl; it was obvious she had died fighting. There was something familiar though, about her, even in death. Songflight racked her brain for it and- there! A memory of a cold day whipped through her mind, hostile eyes glaring at her, claws digging into her pelt with undisguised and unnatural rage. "Blackwhisper." ''Even she didn't deserve this, ''Songflight thought. TreeClan had let most of Razorfang's followers stay, provided, of course, that they repledged loyalty to their clan. Only Brackenclaw, the former deputy had left. Songflight had had her doubts, but if TreeClan had trusted their warriors, she hadn't wanted to say anything. And now this had happened, sending her into confusion. Was this some kind of payback for what Blackwhisper had done? And more importantly, who was the savage killer? A shriek interrupted her thoughts. They whirled to see a patrol of TreeClan cats, eyes flaming, lips curled back into snarls. Stickyfoot took a step forward, his golden eyes glinting with pure rage. "''You. ''You killed her! Attack!" "Wait!" Orangenose stumbled forward to stand beside Applewhisker. The two best friends' tails twined in unison, as if out of habit. "You don't understand-" Her voice was cut off with a strangling sound as a gray TreeClan tom wrapped his jaws around her throat. Songflight's blood boiled, despite the fact that this was an unnessecary fight. They should be helping TreeClan, but no one treated her clanmates like that. Especially not Orangenose, whom she had had a special bond with ever since they had gone on a journey to find catmint together. "Let her go!" she screamed, launching herself onto the tom's back and scoring it with her claws. Letting out a yowl of pain, he turned to face her. "Mintpaw!" he yodeled, scratching her flank. "Come help me!" A lightly built silver she-cat sprang onto Songflight, managing to knock her over. She was about to retaliate when she froze. Mintpaw's face was right above hers, her small pointed chin, large eyes, delicate ears... Songflight had seen it all before. ''Berrypaw. ''A stab of pain so sharp it took her breath away went through her. If she hurt this cat, somewhere, a queen would grieve. A warrior would never be made. A- She let out a screech as Mintpaw tore open a cut on her cheek. Shaking her head, she forced herself to see that these eyes were mint green, not blue, and burning with the heat of battle. Tossing the apprentice off her, she kicked out at her, then attacked the gray tom once more. Dazeflight and Stickyfoot were locked in a struggle on the floor, their claws flashing like lightning. Songflight's eyes fell on Blackwhisper's body, and the grueling evidence splayed on the tree. ''This has to stop. We have a real problem. "Stop!" she screamed loudly, and was surprised when everyone froze; more out of surprise then respect of course, but still. All eyes were on her. Taking a deep breath, she began, "Look, I know how this looks. You think WaterClan killed Blackwhisper. But that's not true. We just stumbled upon our body while on our dawn patrol." Stickyfoot took a step forward, lip curling. "And you were across our border why?" "To see what had happened!" quavered Applewhisker, tears blooming in her eyes. One splashed to the ground, but she held his gaze. "We couldn't just see a dead cat and not investigate. That would be sick." Orangenose nodded firmly, and Dazeflight joined her. Songflight felt a smile coming on in spite of herself. You couldn't put a price on Clan loyalty; it ran too deep. The WaterClan cats faced down the TreeClan patrol. Stickyfoot seemed unsure now, his vehemence wavering, like a flame against a strong, persistent wind. "If you didn't, who did?" "That's what we were trying to figure out when you barged in," Dazeflight said, a hint of a snarl underlying his calm tone. The gray tom tensed at this, but Stickyfoot motioned for him to stop. "Relax Blitzfur," he said. "But-" Stickyfoot ignored him. "So you know nothing about this?" "No," Songflight said honestly. The dark ginger tom looked torn for a second, then his posture stiffened. "I'd love to take your word for it, but we can't afford that. All of you are coming back to camp for questioning." "What!?" she yelled, unable to mask her anger. "You can't do that! We just happened to discover her first, okay? Really. We didn't do anything. In fact, we'd like to help." Stickyfoot's face was a mask. "Those days are over. Razorfang is gone. We no longer need your help. What we do need is to figure out who did this-" "Which we could help you with," she put in. He continued as if she hadn't spoken. "So you'll need to come back to our camp. Don't resist please, we'll get you there one way or another." Songflight exchanged glances with her patrols. One look at her Clanmates' faces and she saw they were thinking the same thing as her; TreeClan had enough on their paws, and another fight would be futile and pointless. "Fine." Dazeflight's expression showed he wasn't pleased with it, but the TreeClan tom didn't seem to notice. "Good. Walk in front of us. Blitzfur, you guard Songflight. She's a fiesty one." "You know my name?" Songflight asked, a bit surprised. "Sure, Bush-" He broke off abrubtly. "Everyone does. The whole Razorfang thing? You united the clans and all." A hint of a smile tugged at the corners of his lips. "Not just me-" she began to protest, but just then Blitzfur shoved her forward. "Move." Biting back a protest, she followed his lead. Instead of keeping with the group, he drove her several tail-lenghts ahead, then turned to her with a half-desperate look in his eyes. "Songflight right?" She sighed. "At least everyone doesn't know who I am. You know, my brother and sister helped too. Hawkswoop and Patchbird. They're as much of a hero as me, actually more." His gaze met hers, and she was surprised at what she saw in there. It was the look of a caged animal, of pleading and hope all mixed together. "Yes, yes I know," he said softly. "Patchbird..." Suddenly everything began to fall into place, even as logic pushed it away. She had never even met Blitzfur, only seen him a couple of times at Gatherings. This was impossible. Patchbird was always at camp. There was no opportunity- But what could she know anyway? Many of her own Gatherings had beens spent behind the Meeting Field, talking with Bushtail. She knew how it felt, more then anyone. But she also knew what the inevitable end felt like. She knew the pain. So she had to try. "Pleased don't..." she pleaded. "Don't say it. I won't let you. It's impossible. She's my sister. I can't let you hurt her-" His voice, though soft so the others couldn't hear, was husky with intensity. "I would never hurt her Songflight, but I have to- It's killing me. I need her. Songflight, I'm in love with your sister. I need to know if she feels the same way." Songflight turned away. "She can't. She just can't..." "We're here!" Stickyfoot strutted past them, oblivious to Blitzfur's tortured expression. "Welcome to TreeClan. We hope you turn out to be innocent, for your sakes. Otherwise, it won't be pretty." 'Chapter Four' They entered the TreeClan camp, sullen looks on each of their faces. Songflight was too wrapped up in what Blitzfur had just told her to be irritated though. The gray tom was quiet now, staying a healthy distance from her, but the desperation in his eyes stayed burned in the back of her mind. The last time she'd seen that look was in another pair of yellow eyes- those yellow eyes. Bushtail looked away hastily, going to stand beside an even weaker looking Sootstar. Oh yeah. He's deputy now. "What happened?" the leader asked with a frown, taking in all their faces. Applewhisker opened her mouth, but Stickyfoot interrupted. "Blackwhisper is dead." "What?" snarled Bushtail, looking much more like a fierce warrior then the young apprentice she had first fallen in love with. He turned to the WaterClan cats. "They-" "Quite possibly," said Stickyfoot. "We found them by the body. You guys should probably see it... it was strange. The tree was all clawed up and-" "It was nothing any cat would ever do," snapped Songflight angrily. Sootstar ignored her, and she felt her blood boiling. She had thought the TreeClan leader had been reasonable; they had worked together to defeat Razorfang, and she had even sympathized with him after learning how he had lost his daughter. Now, she wasn't so sure. "Murder." His voice was cold as ice. "Is there nothing you will not stop at?" "Do you see blood on us?" Dazeflight snarled. "Or any other kind of evidence? Face it; you have no proof." "We saw them standing over the body," Blitzfur said, seemingly forgetting his so-called love for Patchbird. "If that's not proof, then what is?" With a sickening feeling, Songflight realized how it must look to the TreeClan cats. Hostile faces were peering out all around them, hatred springing up as each cat heard what had happened. A skinny white tom with black spots raced out of a bushy den, yelling his head off. "Blackwhisper's gone? No! Not Blackwhisper!" Orangenose and her exchanged glances. The orange she-cat sighed, her tail lowering. "This is going to be a long trial." "I don't think we need a trial." Stickyfoot was adamant. "They were standing over the body!" "Yeah, I got that part," Sootstar said. Songflight was relieved that he too looked fed up with Stickyfoot's mindless statements. "But, since they're here, why not let them say their share?" He turned to them. "Well? What do you have to say?" "We were on the dawn patrol," Songflight said, realizing that the rest of the Clan was probably wondering where they were. "And while remarking the TreeClan border, we saw her," she shuddered involuntarily at the memory, "lying there, and we came to see what had happened, and if we could help." Mintpaw's ears flattened. "Yeah right. You probably killed her because she sided with Razorfang before." Sootstar winced at the comment, but shook his head. "I know these cats. If Songflight says they didn't do it, I believe her. That's not to say I won't be watching you-" "Know these cats?" A mottled gray tom pushed his way out of the crowd, his dark gold eyes lit with disgust. "They're WaterClan! How can you possibly know them? And another thing, old cat. You're being way too soft. Blackwhisper was my friend, and I will not wait around while you chat up the cats who were responsible for her death." "Of course she was your friend," muttered Applewhisker. "She fought with you on Razorfang's side." Sootstar faced the gray tom calmly. "You might think so, Thornstrike, but the truth is, the Clan doesn't need to involve itself in unnessecary fights to prove ourselves." "Prove ourselves? You need to act like a leader to prove yourself to us!" yelled the tom. Songflight was shocked at his rudeness, but Sootstar had a patient, long-suffering look on his face. The rest of the Clan just looked impatient; they had obviously suffered through this before. However, Songflight noted nervously, some of them were nodding to themselves, as if they actually believed some of what he was saying. "TreeClan won't be the weak Clan, who loses cats because of it!" "We have no proof," spat the leader. Thornstrike opened his mouth for another protest, but Bushtail cut him off. "That's enough Thornstrike." His voice was firm and harsh, with surprising authority. Once again, Songflight wondered how she could've missed this side of him. "Your leader is speaking. Show some respect." Eyes smoldering, the mottled gray tom took a step backwards and began whispering with a couple of other cats. She knew with a sickening certainty that this wasn't over. Not by a long shot. "You're free to go," Sootstar said. "For now. But tell Pinestar I won't tolerate any nonsense." They nodded their heads. "Bushtail, escort them back to their own territory." Just what I needed, ''Songflight thought to herself. "Patchbird?" Songflight said. She hated to do this to her sister, but she had to know. "Can I talk to you? In private?" "Sure..." Her sister frowned and followed her out of the thicket tunnel. Songflight led her to the tree where, as an apprentice, she had seen her mother telling Pinestar she planned to leave the Clan. No matter what had happened with Razorfang because of it, she was glad her mother was back. Maribel might not have taken a Clan name, or felt like she belonged in WaterClan, but she truly did. "Look," she said. "While I was on my little, uh, trip, to TreeClan-" "I still can't believe they arrested you for that!" spat Patchbird. "Have they lost their minds?" Songflight blinked at her. When she and Bushtail had been together, she'd found herself flinching every time someone said anything at all mean about TreeClan. ''Maybe Patchbird's just stronger then you, ''she told herself. "Right. Well, Pinestar said he would speak to Sootstar about it at the next Gathering. Anyway, I met a cat. A silver-gray tom with blue eyes. He was fast." She glanced at her sister, who remained silent. "His name was Blitzfur." Still nothing. "And do you know what he said to me?" Patchbird stretched and yawned. "No." Songflight stared at her in disbelief for a second, then continued. "While we were being dragged back to their camp, he took me aside. And he told me," she whirled to face Patchbird, green eyes blazing. "He told me he ''loved ''you. He told me he needed desperately to see you, to know you were all right. He told me-" "Songflight," Patchbird said calmly. "Yes?" "I just have one little question," she meowed, standing up, her ivy-colored eyes like pools of green. "Who in StarClan is Blitzfur?" "W-what?" stammered Songflight, utterly shocked. "You don't know who he is? Are you sure? Patchbird, don't try to play dumb with me..." She trailed off, seeing her sister slowly shake her head. "You're not kidding, are you?" "No," Patchbird said. "I have no idea who Blitzfur is, and I seriously doubt that he's fallen in love with me without us ever exchanging a word.' "But he looked, desperate," Songflight said. "How could anyone fake that?" "I don't know," she replied. "All I know is that it can't be me. Speaking of forbidden loves, I-" "Excuse me," Songflight said. Without stopping to hear what Patchbird had to say, she dashed away, heading towards the river. She needed to think. What was going on here? What had Blitzfur been playing at? With a sigh, Songflight let herself relax, the sound of waves soothing in her ears. Grass swished around her paws, like a sea of green. The scent of early newleaf wildflowers touched her nose like the ghost of summers past and summers to come. She tilted her head and breathed in deeply, eyes closed. "Songflight?" She turned to see Maribel padding towards her. "Are you okay?" "Yeah," she said, but her voice sounded feeble even to her own ears. "No, I'm not. Why does everything go so wrong?" Like a little kit, she leaned her shoulder on her mother's, fighting back tears. ''Mariflower hates me, my sister doesn't even know the tom who says he's in love with him, and Marshpaw's still gone. Instead of blurting out all these though, she stayed silent, biting her lip. Luckily, Maribel seemed to read between the lines. "He'll come back Songflight. They always do." She met her eyes, lip trembling. "No, I don't think I will Mother. You don't understand, well, maybe you do, but I don't think any of us can. He killed ''her. How can anyone forget that?" The tears she had been fighting so hard came gushing out now, as she recalled Berrypaw's soft silver fur and blue eyes, Marshpaw's brown fur and soulful dark green eyes, and the way they played together in a jumbled heap. ''How could I ever have given them up? "You still have Mariflower," pointed out Maribel, stroking her on the back with her tail. Songflight shook her head. "I think I've lost her too, Mother. I just- how do I mess everything up so badly?" Maribel's green eyes softened. "Sometimes you just need to be honest, dear. Like when I told you three about Brown, and how you were born. You needed to know I trusted you in order to trust me. Do you understand what I'm saying?" She nodded slowly. "I have something I need to do." 'Chapter Five' "Mariflower, can we talk?" The black-and-white she-cat regarded her coolly from next to Smokewhisker. "Why?" Songflight's tail drooped. "I- I have something to tell you. Please. It's time you knew... the truth. For what it's worth, anyway." Mariflower appeared torn, like she wanted to believe her, but just couldn't. Finally, she sighed. "Excuse me Smokewhisker. But make it quick," she added. Songflight nodded and took her out of the camp, her heart pounding. Sitting down so that they were face to face, she began in a choked voice. "I never meant for any of this to happen." Mariflower remained stonily silent, so she went on. "Your father was a great cat. I only wish you could've known him as I do, or did." "You betrayed your Clan." Mariflower's tone was icily cold, but her eyes betrayed all her hurt and frustration. Songflight couldn't blame her for feeling like this, and she wished desperately she could make it better, sure that this was all her fault. "Yes, I did. I know that now, but all I'm trying to tell you is the truth. Do you want to know who your real father is or not?" She stared at her paws. "I'm not sure I do." "Oh. Well... you would have liked him." All of Songflight's courage went plummeting through the ground. She had been so ready to tell her daughter- "Okay. Might as well get it over with." "He's a TreeClan tom." Songflight watched her carefully. "A brown tabby with yellow eyes and a big heart..." She was stalling now. Mariflower's eyes widened and she looked up to face her. She knew she couldn't drag it out any longer. "Bushtail." "The new deputy?" croaked Mariflower, when she was able to speak. She moaned and shook her head gently. "But... Songflight, you did so much to help WaterClan. I've heard the stories, and how you, Patchbird, and Hawkswoop were in the prophecy to defeat Razorfang. And he's the deputy now, soon to be leader. How could you two do this?" She stared at her daughter sadly. "I'm sorry." Leaning forward to brush her cheek with Mariflower's, she expected the younger she-cat to pull away, but she didn't. Instead she allowed her mother to lick her on the forehead. Songflight murmured quietly into her ear, "I truly am. But no cat is perfect." "I know," muttered Mariflower with a sigh. "I'm sorry." Songflight laughed. "You shouldn't have to apoligize, but it's okay. How about a quick hunt?" Mariflower nodded. "That would be fun." As they walked, she frowned. "So, what do you think of that new cat, Smoke? I don't find him trustworthy." Songflight looked up, surprised. "Well... I don't know. He helped us fight the badger." And helped save your father, ''she added silently. Mariflower frowned. "Well, he isn't acting like a real part of the Clan. He's too curious, yet doesn't even try to fit in, or talk about being a true warrior. Pinestar hasn't done anything yet, but I think we'll have to send him on his way soon. He doesn't belong in WaterClan." A chill ran through Songflight, for a reason she didn't understand, as she pictured the expression in the tom's ghostly blue eyes when he was told to leave. She was sure his calm exterior would be tested then. Aloud, all she said was, "Well, he hasn't hurt us yet. Pinestar, Bluewater and Lilystem might just decide to give him a chance." Her green eyes were solemn. "And what will that chance cost us?" She turned away, unable to answer that. Raising her nose, a whiff of warm vole scent tantalized her senses, and she began tracking it, keeping low to the ground. Pricking her ears, she heard the creature snuffling about in the undergrowth. Seconds later, she had pinpointed its location. Gathering her haunches underneath her, she sprang and caught the vole in her jaws, killing it with a swift shake. "Nice catch," said a voice behind her. Songflight's fur prickled; she knew it wasn't Mariflower before she even turned around. As if he had appeared by magic, his pale gray fur stark against the dark wood of the trees, Smoke stood watching her, his expression unreadable. It sent shivers down her spine. "I didn't see you approach," she mewed in a shaky voice. "When did you get here?" "That doesn't matter, because in the end we all got here the same way. We were born." "Right." ''He's crazy. ''"So... I'm just going to take this prey back to the camp now, if you'll excuse me." Without speaking, Smoke moved to block her way. "Not yet, Songflight." Stepping back, he studied her critically. "My, my. I've heard so many great things about you. This is kind of a disappointment, to tell you the truth." Songflight curled her lip to retort, but he pressed on. "You've let down your family a bit, haven't you?" Letting out a gasp, she let the vole fall out of her mouth. "What?" "Haven't you guessed by now? This is all your fault. What's happening to Marshpaw is all your fault." "I know... Wait. ''Happening?" "Yes," he said with a nonchalant shrug. Then he blinked in false surprise. "You didn't know? Marshpaw is still around. I've met him. That's how I knew I had to save his father, Bushtail, I believe, and meet you. The family resemblance is unmistakable." Disbelief mingled with a stab of hope so vibrant it hurt as it rippled through her ribcage. She took a step forward, eyes shining with longing. "Take me to him. Take me to my son." Smoke shook his head slowly. "I don't think you want to do that Songflight. He's not the cat you knew. He's not even a shadow of-" "Mother? What are you doing?" Mariflower padded up, her face showing concern as she took in Smoke and the expression on Songflight's face. She held a plump squirrel in her jaws. "Nothing," Songflight meowed, shaking her head slowly. If Smoke could bring her to Marshpaw, she had to go with him alone. She didn't want to stir Mariflower's hopes and then let her down. "Let's head back to camp." Giving a shrug, Mariflower began padding back, though her eyes remained wary. Dropping her voice to a whisper, she bent down and talked into Smoke's ear. "Meet me here tonight, at moonrise. Be ready to take me to Marshpaw. Please." Giving a brisk nod, Smoke turned and walked in the opposite direction. To elated to give much thought to the fact that he should be coming back to camp now too, she scampered after Mariflower. After all this time, she was finally going to see her son. So why did her stomach feel so uneasy, like there was something Smoke was hiding? And why, when she looked up into the sky, did she see the blue of Berrypaw's eyes, carrying a warning? Surely it was just because her daughter... would be cautious of her brother. It couldn't be anything else. It just couldn't be. "Hold on Marshpaw. I'm coming." 'Chapter Six' The moonlight turned Songflight's fur to liquid silver as she slipped out the thicket tunnel, silent as a wisp of breeze. She wasn't sure what the night guards would do or say if they caught her, but since one of them was Willowclaw, she wasn't going to chance it. The grumpy tom didn't like her on a good day; there was no telling what he'd do if he found her sneaking out of camp. Just then, the bushes nearby rustled. Songflight froze, and scented the air. TreeClan. "Who's there?" she called, trying to mask her anxiousness. A cat cleared his throat, and the bush parted, revealing... Bushtail. Perfect. Just perfect. "Hi," he said awkwardly, blinking at her. She sighed. "What do you want?" A trace of hurt flickered in his eyes, and she regretted sounding so harsh, but she couldn't help it. Now was not the time for this kind of stress for her, not when so much was on the line. He cleared his throat. "I want to see Marshpaw." Her head jerked up, and she gazed at him disbelievingly. "What? Why? How did you even find out what happened?" "I was there that night," he reminded her sadly. "I saw the whole thing. You think it didn't hurt me too? Songflight, we need to talk. They're my kids too. I care about them. I care about-" He seemed to stop himself, much to her chagrin. She had been hanging onto his every word, but now she pulled away. And just then, Smoke entered, his eyes crafty and eerie in the moonlight. "Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Bushtail took a step back, but the tom shook his head. "No need to hide anything, guys. I know everything. I see everything. And unless you want me to spill your little secret, I would do everything I say. Don't test me on this. I will tell them everything." Songflight gulped, trying to hide how nervous she was. "What do you want Smoke?" Bushtail looked puzzled. "Who is this cat? He's not from the Clans, is he?" She curled her lip. "He's WaterClan's honorary guest. He saved you from the badger attack, remember? Sheesh. Toms are so forgetful." "Right," the TreeClan tom meowed. "How quickly they forget all I've done for them," Smoke said with fake sadness, casting his eyes downward as if he was about to cry. "But don't worry, you two. There is a way out of this. All you have to do is follow my commands to the letter, and no one gets hurt." His lips curved into a sneer. "At least, you guys won't." Trying to hide her fear, Songflight stepped in front of Bushtail, then immediately felt stupid for doing so; he was much taller than her, and gave her a partially amused glance. "What are your commands?" The tom's eyes glittered. "The first one is for you, Songflight. I know your word holds major weight for Pinestar, and he listens to you. So, I want you to get him to trust me." "Trust isn't something I can make him dole out," she said in a hostile tone. "You have to earn it on your own. Not that I think you're capable of that." Smoke went on as if she hadn't spoken. "And you, Bushtail. I need you to kill a squirrel and leave it by the border every single day." He studied his claws lazily. "Hide it, under the large holly bush with the crooked branch. Hunting is such a pain." "You can't eat food without bringing it back to the Clan first!" exclaimed Songflight. "The warrior code-" "But I'm not a warrior, am I?" Smoke said. "Don't let me down, you two. Unless you want me to further ruin you and your kit's lives." His eyes flashed dangerously. "Both ''of your kits." The tom stalked away. Songflight turned to Bushtail. A void seemed to separate them, something untouchable that had fallen in place the day she had told him they couldn't be mates anymore. The memories came in a flood, but Songflight pushed them back; now was not the time. She was happy now. At least, she thought she was, but now this had happened, and turned her world upside down again. "What do we do?" "The only thing we can do," he said. "Give him what he wants." "But-" "Songflight," he said. "Do you really want everyone to know?" His voice cracked. "We ended it. There's no point in dredging up old disloyalties. I let my Clan down, we both did, but we're wiser now." "So... everything we had was just letting our Clans down?" The hurt seeped through Songflight's voice, as hard as she fought to control it. He opened his mouth to reply, but she shook his head. "You should never have come here Bushtail." A spark of anger appeared in his yellow eyes. "Why? He's my son too!" "Not anymore," she whispered. "He belongs to neither of us now. And it's all my fault. If I hadn't started the battle with Razorfang-" "Dozens of cats would have died," he said, but there was no comfort in his voice. Just the calmness of a TreeClan deputy. She stared at him dazedly. ''Where did it all go wrong? What happened to us? All she said was: "I know. Well, I guess we're stuck. Good night Bushtail." "Good night," he said, turning and loping back towards TreeClan territory. She flinched and let out a gusty sigh of misery. Slowly, head hanging in defeat, she padded back to WaterClan. 'Chapter Seven' "Where am I?" No reply came to Songflight's desperate cry. She looked around at the barren landscape, scenting the air. An acrid tang filled the atmosphere, stinging her eyes. ''Fire! ''But there were no angry orange flames, no sky-rocketing sparks shooting into the night sky. Just smoke. Lots of billowing smoke. Then a sharper, more pleasant smell drifted into her nostrils. Pine sap, thick and brown; she could practically envision it. A pine tree stood in the middle of the wasteland, like a lone sentry. Songflight's eyes narrowed, the smoke blinding her, swallowing the pine tree whole. A cat's cry rang out, a shriek of pure agony. Songflight sat bolt upright, sweat darkening her coat, her sides heaving. Beside her, Hawkswoop was stirring, his eyes flashing. "What was that?" "That was..." Real. ''Without another word, she bounded out of the warrior's den. "Pinestar!" Bluewater came bounding out behind her, eyes wide. Lilystem emerged with herbs from her den, horror dancing in her green eyes. Songflight smelled blood in the air; she followed the tang to the leader's den. There, she froze. Lying in a pool of his own blood, fur drenched with it, kindly eyes closed, was their beloved leader. Dead. "No..." she whispered. For several seconds she was numb, facing the body, her thoughts running in one big circle, one sentence repeating itself over and over again: ''This can't be happening. ''Her next thought was, ''Maribel. Lilystem darted forward, and Bluewater followed, her olive eyes round with disbelief. The silvery medicine cat looked up, defeat and sorrow clear on her face. "That was his last life." "But how could he have died?" Songflight choked out, her words coming in strangled sobs. Bluewater crumbled beside her leader's body, looking as frail and helpless as an orphaned kit; Songflight couldn't imagine her standing up, let alone leading the Clan. And then she heard a gasp behind her, a sound that held more pain and shock then any cat should ever have to experience. Turning slowly, she met her mother's eyes. "I'm so sorry..." she said, knowing it wouldn't help. Nothing could help. Maribel looked terribly old all of a sudden, padding forward slowly to gaze with grief-stricken eyes at her mate. All Songflight could think was, ''I am sorry. That you had to come back to WaterClan, and you were met with this. It's not fair. ''She gazed at Pinestar's body, the blood already growing cold and dry, and tears spilled out like a sudden deluge. He had led their Clan for as long as she could remember, before she had joined, before she had been born. Always, he had been there for her, a strong and constant rock to listen, to help her sort out whatever prophecies and dreams she had had. And now all of that was gone. Cloverleap and Eaglewatch were curled up beside their leader's body, gray-speckled fur gleaming in the moonlight and shining off the tear tracks that ran down their faces. Greengaze, who had recently retired, laid with her head on her paws, staring unseeingly into the sky. Songflight felt numb. None of it felt real, not the body stretched out in the middle of the camp, not the mourning cats all around her, or even the air of sadness. Her memories, now those seemed real. Sitting in Pinestar's den, poring over the latest development about rogues or Razorfang, the scenes seemed so close she could touch them. Yet when she reached out for them desperately, they seemed to disappear, vanish into thin air. Hawkswoop approached her, his eyes hard. "I know who did this." Startled, she glanced up at him. "You do?" "Smoke," he said through gritted teeth. "He's gone." "Then we're going after him." It was Bluewater, her eyes blazing with rage. "It will be my first act as leader. Summon a battle patrol, you two. It's war." "Wait," Patchbird protested. "Who's the new deputy?" "She's right." Hawkswoop laid his tail across Bluewater's flank comfortingly. "You need to keep your head about this." She hesitated; then her shoulders slumped, and she shook her head slowly. "I'm not ready for this. Fireflower should be deputy still." "She's," Songflight swallowed back tears, "gone. This is your place Bluewater. Pinestar chose you, and he knew you could do it. That you were strong enough." "Okay," Bluewater said. She took a deep breath, approached the High Branch, and clawed her way up. "Let all the cats of WaterClan gather to hear what I have to say." Songflight and her siblings took a seat at the back of the crowd, watching the dazed, confused expressions on their clanmates' faces. Maribel looked numb; Shadowpelt was by her side, murmuring softly in her ear. Just seeing it made Songflight's heart tear in two. She felt like springing into the sky and yanking Pinestar back, screaming, ''"You can't have him StarClan! We need him." ''But that wasn't an option. They would just have to face life without him. First Brown, now Pinestar. She was losing every fatherly figure in her life. Who would go next? Up above her head, Bluewater continued. "I say these words before StarClan, that they may hear and approve my choice. The next deputy will be Troutstream." A purr rose deep in Songflight's throat as she brushed her tail against her mate's shoulder. "You deserve it." The gray tabby's eyes were wide with shock as he padded forward and dipped his head to Bluewater. "I won't let you down." She nodded. "Good. We will see about exacting vengeance on Smoke later. Tonight, I will travel with Lilystem and recieve my nine lives." Hope bloomed in Songflight's heart as her Clan broke into shouts of joy and congratulations. All of WaterClan would bind together to hunt Smoke down; their shocking discovery would not go unavenged. As for Bushtail, Marshpaw, and the thousand of other things that seemed to be a constant plague, they would be resolved in due time. Opening her mouth with a smile, she joined in. "Bluestar! Troutstream! Bluestar! Troutstream! Bluestar! Troutstream! ''The End '' Category:Songflight's Journey Category:Bluestar&Brightheart's fanfics